More education funding in Illinois will be spent on ages 0-3

More Illinois early education funding will be funneled to programs for children ages 3 and younger under a bill Gov. Pat Quinn will sign this morning.

House Bill 4440 increases the percentage of Early Childhood Education Block Grant program funds that must be set aside for children ages 0 to 3. The bill raises that percentage from 11 to 14 percent in Fiscal Year 2015, and to 20 percent by Fiscal Year 2016, according to the governor's office. The funds are distributed by the state.

“There have been numerous studies that have shown the importance of early childhood education for our children,” said State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia, D-Aurora, a sponsor of the bill. “This stage is vital to the growth and development of young minds, and we must do all we can to expand funding for these crucial programs. In doing so, we can help put our children on the path towards a brighter future.”

Quinn appeared at a school in the Southwest Side, Vittum Park neighborhood, where he signed the bill.